


The Way It Is

by N_T_L



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Character Study, During Canon, F/M, Gen, Minor Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, One Shot, Road Trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:35:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24256762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/N_T_L/pseuds/N_T_L
Summary: After the events at the Temple of the Ancients, Aerith has left the group to summon Holy. Reaching the Forgotten Capital is a long and dangerous journey for a lonely Cetra, though.
Kudos: 5





	The Way It Is

**Author's Note:**

> Scenes between >>>> and <<<<< are flashbacks.

**The Way It Is**

>>>>> In theory, the Gold Saucer maintained a hotel area of adequate size and comfort for all its guest. In practice, it had the Ghost Square. Aerith hadn't cared for the absurd gimmick to begin with, but now it actively got in her way. She had planned to sneak back into the room she shared with Tifa and Yuffie without waking them. The moment she opened the door though, it creaked loudly, like it was made of rust and ancient wood. And of course it wasn't actually the door itself making the artificial sound, but a small speaker right next to it.

Aerith frowned at the useless device and switched it off - at least that much comfort was offered. Just before she managed to close the door though, a loud scream echoed from down the hallway. It was probably meant to sound scary.

Somebody found the vending machine. _How nice for them_.

Sighing in frustration Aerith leaned against the closed door. This was not the mood she had hoped to be in when she set out a few hours ago. It had been such a wonderful evening in the beginning. For the first time in weeks she had managed to spend more than five minutes alone with Cloud. But then they just had to come across Cait Sith. Not only did he turn out to be the Shinra spy and steal the keystone, he also took Marlene and her Mom as hostages. Which was bad; very bad, a disaster even. Yet somehow she felt no sense of panic or even unrest. By now this was just the kind of problem Aerith and her friends had become really good at overcoming. The fact that he brought her date with Cloud to an abrupt end though...

She had to stifle a bitter laugh. It was silly that she was most upset about that, yet she couldn't help it. There been a rare and special moment between them, and now it was gone. 

"There you are."

Startled by Tifa's voice Aerith lost her train of thought. The same moment a soft click sounded; a floor lamp turned on, bathing the room in dim light.

"Sorry," Aerith said, quickly pushing aside her anger. "I didn't mean to wake you..."

Aerith voice died down as she noticed the state the room was in. Tifa sat beside the lamp in one of a pair of armchairs. Yuffie on the other hand was sprawled across one of the two queen sized beds, tied up in the blanket in spectacular fashion. She was soundly asleep. Aerith noticed two glasses on the small table beside Tifa as well as some of the small bottles of booze from the mini bar. Empty bottles.

"Did you get Yuffie drunk?"

Tifa waved a dismissive hand. "She sipped her drink twice, declared herself wasted and went to bed," Tifa said with a heavy tongue, raising from the chair with some trouble. "She's been sleeping ever since."

That relaxed Aerith, but only until she noticed just how many of those empty bottles were littering the room. If Yuffie drank almost nothing, that meant...

Tifa stumbled up to Aerith, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Well, did you have a nice evening?"

Tifa's breath and glassy eyes told Aerith everything she needed to know.

"Tifa..."

Tifa pulled Aerith closer and lowered her head. At first Aerith thought the other woman was trying to hug her; or puke over her shoulder. _Or both_. But Tifa just hovered her head close to Aerith. A small sound queued her in on what was going on: Tifa was smelling her neck. 

"Tifa, what are you..."

Tifa continued up Aerith's neck to her hair and then suddenly down to her cleavage, before taking a wobbly step back. Aerith couldn't help but cross her arms in front of her chest in defense.

"At least you didn't..." mumbled Tifa, stumbling away towards the unoccupied bed, flopped down on it and stopped moving.

Flabbergasted, Aerith could do nothing but stare at her friends for a moment. After overcoming her bewilderment, she realized her predicament: Where was she supposed to sleep now?

The three of them had known that two of them would have to share a bed. None of them had seen this as a problem at the time. It was far from the first time on their journey and the beds were decently sized. But now, neither fighting Yuffie for a little space and the blanket, nor spending the night next to the drunk and possibly sick Tifa seemed like an very attractive option. So Aerith gathered the chairs would have to do for her. But first things first. She walked over to Tifa, shaking the other woman gently at her shoulder.

"Come on, Tifa. You don't want to sleep in your clothes, do you?"

She only got an unintelligible mumble for an answer. Aerith huffed and kneeled down to undo Tifa's heavy boots. After she had removed them, she loosened her friend's suspenders and belt and with some effort peeled her skirt down over her legs. She did the same with her socks. Finally she rolled Tifa carefully over to her side, pulling the blanket out from under her und then tucking her in under it. 

"Sleep well, Tifa," said Aerith, as she placed a big glass of water on nightstand next to Tifa.

She was just about to go and look for a blanket for herself, when she heard Tifa whispering in her pillow.

"Hm? You need something else?"

"Cloud..."

Aerith froze, staring at Tifa for a long while. After it became clear that Tifa hadn't really spoken to her, just talked in her sleep, Aerith gently set down next to her on the bed. With a sad sigh she began stroking Tifa's hair. Why did everything have to be so complicated? In the few months she had known Tifa, the other women had become the closest friend she ever had in her life. Seeing her in pain, or even causing it, was last thing Aerith wanted to happen. But still...

"I really wish I could just step out of your way, Tifa. But-" Aerith hesitated, surprised by the realization that had just struck her. "But the the truth is: I don't want to."

Maybe it was quite easy after all.

Aerith got back up and grabbed a glass that still contained some liquor - Yuffie's she surmised. She downed its contents in one gulp. With the encouraging warmth still burning in her throat she turned off the lights and left her sleeping friends behind in the room. She hurried down the hallway to Cloud's room. She knocked on his door without another thought, so she wouldn't stop herself in the last second. A agonizingly long moment of waiting followed until his door finally opened. He gave her a questioning look and it was obvious already had been in bed. 

"Sorry if I woke you."

She tried hard not to stare at his naked torso, much.

"Don't worry, I-" He grew alarmed. "Did something else happen?"

"No." Aerith couldn't help but smile and felt her cheeks warming. "There's just something I forgot."

She stepped inside his room and kissed him. <<<<<

* * *

Aerith tried to imagine someone would have suggested maybe as recently as half a year ago that she would get accustomed to seeing the ocean and feeling the breeze in her hair. She would have called them silly. Since early childhood she had known nothing except the stale air of Midgar's slums, the tall buildings and the steel sky. The sea had been something that only existed in books and on maps and television. It had been an excotic, far away place.

But it did happen after all. By now she could not even say how many times she had seen it with her own eyes. That didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the sight, the fresh air and the feeling of freedom the endless blue provided her with. Like it was the first time all over again. It was such a completely different aspect of the planet, one foreign to her for way too many years. 

Only, this was the first time she was alone with the ocean. Whether it was as a stowaway on the freighter, during a short but necessary break in Costa del Sol, or crowded together on the Tiny Bronco, her friends had been with her. Now she was by herself on this ferry heading for Junon - as a legal passenger with a ticket this time around.

Well, she wasn't _completely_ alone.

Her PHS was vibrating. Again.

Since she had stolen away at night and left the others back in Gonaga, her friends had been trying to reach her. Even now, two days later, they stilled called her every hour. She couldn't help but smile. They were great friends.

Aerith hoped they would understand that she was simply trying to be a good friend to them, too. After everything that had happened at the Temple of the Ancients, nothing was the same as before.

The planet had always been speaking to her - she didn't know it any other way. But she had never been able to explain it to someone else what it was like; not properly. The planet wasn't so much talking to her, but flooding her with glimpses of images and feelings. It had been a kind of background noise in her daily live. Something she could also tune out for a while if she needed to.

That was the past now. The voices - in want of a better word - of the planet had gained a lot more volume the moment she had crossed the threshold of the temple. At first she had thought it was because the temple happened to be a very special place. However, the moment Sephiroth stole the black Materia the soft whispers of the planet had become an agitated murmur. And they hadn't quieted down again since then. 

Would somebody have her put it in words, Aerith would have told them the planet was calling "North! Go north!" out to her. But there were no words. It was a constant pulling and pushing in her thoughts. Memories of places she had never been to before. A forest. A lake. A city. 

It felt like an itch she just couldn't scratch. She wondered if maybe Cid experienced something similar when he didn't get to smoke for a few hours.

It wasn't like the planet had ordered her to go alone, it was just a feeling that it was better this way. Jenova and Sephiroth. The calamity from the skies, as the planet called her, and her... son? They were a terrible danger to the whole world. The planet was convinced of it - and thus, so was Aerith. Moreover, they had Cloud under their influence. Right now he was a danger to both himself and her mission for the planet. She didn't exactly know the details of what the mission entailed, but she firmly believed by the fulfilling it she would put a stop to those two horrors and at the same time free Cloud's mind from their dark clutches.

But first, there were some logistical obstacles to overcome. She believed - no, she knew - the forest the planet was having her look for was somewhere on the Northern Continent. However, getting there was easier said than done. Aerith had to admit she barely knew anything about the planet's most northern and sparsely populated landmass. She couldn't even recall the name of a single city there. For now she hoped to find passage via Junon. After all it was the world's busiest harbour.

Aerith was pulled from her thoughts when her PHS started vibrating again. That was strange. It hadn't been ten minutes since the last call. Curious she got the device out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. 

It was Cloud's!

He was awake again. The happy tingling in her belly made her realize how much she had waited for this news. 

She rejected the call. That had to do as a sign of life for him and the others. 

For a short moment she was tempted to throw her PHS overboard in a dramatic gesture. A silly thought, of course. She needed it for when she was done with her quest for the planet and wanted to reunite with her friends.

Instead she simply turned it off and looked back out at sea.

* * *

Aerith bit her lip as her fingers finally drove her over the edge. She rode out the wave, then relaxed her back and just lay there for awhile, her chest still heaving and her head empty. Once the cool air got too uncomfortable on her exposed skin, she wiped her fingers dry on the bed sheet and rolled up in a blanket.

That was that. But she was still bored.

The small and crummy hotel room she occupied was dimly lit by faint daylight falling in through a single window. It was raining outside, but even the sunniest of days would not have made a difference for Aerith. There was nothing useful to do for her. As nice as this last little distraction had been, it was nothing more than that: a distraction. One of way too many by now, but time just continued its agonizing crawl. She couldn't help but sigh. She had been stuck here for days now and would be so for two more.

At first she had been relieved: there actually was a boat going from Junon to to a coastal city on the Northern Continent. That was were her luck had ended. The boat operated only once a week and she had missed the last one by a day. Also, the ticket price had been higher than anticipated, so she had been forced to sell one of the two materia she had taken with her when she had left her friends.

But maybe she shouldn't complain too much. She had been very lucky in other ways. After arriving here, she had moved through Junon rather carelessly, spending a lot of time studying maps and the shipping lines leaving the harbour, before she noticed the mug shots displayed periodically on the public screens. Shinra was still looking for Avalanche. It was pure chance none of the many guard patrols hadn't noticed her, probably due to the hooded coat she wore because of the rain. Alarmed, and a little bit embarrassed by her thoughtlessness, she proceeded to keep her head down, picked up a few supplies and necessities and got a room. 

Since then she was waiting for the time to pass.

Going outside was too big a risk and not an option for Aerith. So she had spent the days flipping through old magazines, getting annoyed by talk shows and way too invested into soap operas. She also spent the longest time on her personal hygiene since leaving Midgar earlier in the year. Back then her whole world had been her flowers and the slums. And the only thing she had associated the name 'Sephiroth' with, was a stinking aftershave named after some dead guy.

The room's tapestry was again failing in providing any visual entertainment, so she simply closed her eyes. Her thoughts immediately returned to Cloud, albeit in a less raunchy way than a few minutes before. A strange but somewhat pleasant feeling had been nagging at her ever since their night together at the Gold Saucer. She dared not calling it 'love' - not yet anyway. But it felt like the part of her womanhood, that had fallen into hibernation ever since Zack had vanished, was waking up again.

Back then, as a teenager, Aerith had of course been convinced she was undyingly in love. So after he went away and never called her again, she been bawling and fuming for weeks, putting her Mom through a tough time, too. In her desperation she had even called SOLDIER headquarters, asking for him. Of course, all she had gotten from them were deflections and excuses. Which did nothing to stop her from trying a dozen other departments. Until Tseng had made it very clear to her that she made not finding her very hard to do when she kept calling Shinra offices.

After that she had turned numb towards romance. A feeling that had continued to linger for years and only went away a few weeks ago. Not that she could not have found someone new. Midgar was full of opportunities for pretty girls. And it wasn't just pimps or rich guys looking for arm candy, there were plenty of nice and normal guys in search of a girlfriend around. Aside from some harmless flirting she didn't let anyone get close to her, instead opting to focus on taking care of her flowers and her Mom.

Then one day, she had felt Zack return to the planet. It had hurt, of course, but after a day knowing also freed something in her. A few days later, Cloud crashed through the ceiling of the church and turned her life upside down. At first he seemed like Zack reborn to her, seeing how many mannerisms they shared. But Cloud was much more than a simple imitation of Zack. His true self was just locked away by _something_. Aerith didn't know for sure but she suspected Sephiroth or Jenova were involved in it. But that wasn't all of it. They simply stopped Cloud from finding himself again. 

She hoped whatever the planet would have her do would also help Cloud in the end.

If only she could journey on already and actually get to it!

Aerith opened her eyes again, looking at the clock on the wall, which only made her groan in frustration and turn around in bed. She began to grow annoyed at herself. In the past weeks she had lived through much worse than a few days of boredom. Thirty hours on top the Tiny Bronco without any land in sight came to her mind - together with eight other people! That had been a harsh lesson in privacy; and how little a full bladder cared for it.

* * *

Aerith had not dared to venture out into Junon's streets anymore until it had been time to head for the boat taking her away from the city. So the first thing she did after she arrived on the Northern Continent was stocking up on supplies. The small coastal town was quiet and cozy, but came with every type of store she needed. Talking to a few locals, she learned the forest she was looking for was probably near a place called Bone Village, and that about half a week of travel on foot lay ahead of her. This coincided with what she had grasped from the map she had studied while on the ferry. 

With that in mind she bought a bigger backpack, some camping necessities and food to last her for a few days. Last, she entered a clothing store, where she spent her remaining Gil on a warmer dress, a scarf, a beanie and a pair of gloves. The amused smile that earned her from the clerk told her she was probably overestimating the cold in this season. Still, she wanted to be prepared for whatever this unknown land threw at her. And now she felt ready to journey on.

However, something else demanded her attention first.

Aerith didn't know how long the black cloaked figure had been following her before she noticed them. They had encountered them again and again on their travels, usually squatting in alleyways or scuttling aimlessly around; almost always mumbling gibberish. This one was a little more eager and kept following her around town, slowly but hardly inconspicuous.

She thought it best to confront them away from other people. So after she finished restocking and the sun was beginning to set, she made her way up the cliffs surrounding the fishing town. The long winding way up a steep staircase cast into the rocks turned into quite the workout. When she arrived on top, she set down her backpack and had to catch her breath for a minute. A bench and a single street lantern were placed at the viewpoint at the top of the stairs. It seemed as good a place as any, so Aerith chose to wait for her pursuer in the light here. 

Half an hour later she was regretting her choice. The wind atop the cliffs was harsh and by the time the cloaked figure finally joined her she was chilled to the bone. 

"What do you want?" she demanded the moment they had taken the last step, gripping her staff with both hands. Her feet slid apart in a defensive stance - a reflex picked up by the many self-defense lessons Tifa had been giving her since the first week of their journey together. She concentrated on the single materia embedded in her staff, readying to cast its spell.

Aerith felt as ready for a fight as she ever would.

The slouched figure did not approach her though, instead swaying slightly where it stood. None of the cloak-wearers she had encountered before had seemed in very good health, but this one was completely spent from the long ascent, breathing hard and gasping for air. Not that it made Aerith relax even a little. 

"What do you want?" she asked again.

"Mother..." The pained croak made it still impossible for Aerith to tell if a man or a woman was speaking to her. "Mother wants... wants to talk to you."

"Mother?" She had a feeling who this figure was talking about. A very bad feeling. "Too bad, I'm busy. You can tell her if she wants-"

The cloaked head jerked up, letting Aerith finally make out their features. A gaunt young man was staring back at her. He seemed utterly lost for a moment, then his expression changed dramatically. His mouth formed a wide grin, showing a row of rotten teeth. His eyes, dull and lifeless a moment ago, took on an unnatural green glow, cut in half by black slits. 

"But I am already here, little Cetra." The man's voice had changed completely. The breathlessness was gone. In a way it was a lot softer now, yet unsettling alien. "I am everywhere."

Aerith felt a chill crawl up her spine. In her head the planet cried out in horror. There was no doubt who had possessed the man in front of her.

The calamity from the skies.

Sephiroth's mother.

 _Jenova_.

"I just wonder," Jenova continued. "Why are you here? All alone and so far away from your friends."

Aerith didn't answer. Instead she took a step back as the possessed man walked towards her, no longer slouching. Aerith raised her staff threateningly, which made Jenova stop advancing. 

"You are looking for your people's legacy, aren't you? A lonely Cetra, one girl in all the world." Jenova seemed amused and began to slowly pace around Aerith. "There is nothing you can do. The Reunion is upon us, my eternal harvest will finally be continued. Why don't you go back to your friends and enjoy the days you have remaining."

"You seem to know everything", said Aerith. Every hair on her body stood on edge. She dared not to avert her eyes for even a single moment. "So I'm guessing you're about to tell me."

Jenova paused, the grin vanished. "Because you stubborn Cetra always have to meddle with me. Two millennia I have lost on this puny planet. I have conquered worlds ten times this size in far less time."

"Then just go away if you're so sick of us." Aerith realized she wasn't shaking with fear. She was furious! Whatever Jenova was, her presence terrified the planet. That was inexcusable. "Leave this world and let us be!"

"Oh, I will eventually move on. But before I do, I will absorb every ounce of living energy from this planet until nothing remains but a lifeless rock."

"But why?!"

"Because it is my nature," laughed Jenova. "I roam the vastness of space and devour all those worlds teeming with life, daring to disturb the darkness of the void."

"I-" She stepped towards Jenova. "No, WE will stop you."

"Is that so?"

A twitch was all the warning she got. A knife flashed from under the cloak and Jenova's puppet threw himself at her, snarling. Aerith slid out of the way, activating her materia's power. The fireball engulfed her opponent, igniting his robes immediately. To her surprise he didn't go down. Instead he caught his step, whirled around roaring and attacked her again. Aerith was too slow this time around. The blade caught her arm, cutting deep. Rising panic and the scorching flames disoriented her, but she still managed to deflect two more blows with her staff. She spun to the side, causing him to stumble when he missed the third slash. She swung her staff low, knocking his legs out under him. The moment he hit the ground Aerith smashed the hardened end of her staff right on his head. He was still moving, clutching the knife. So she hit him again. And again. And again.

Warm blood splashing in her face made her finally stop. Gasping for breath she stared at the burning heap of cloth and human remains. The stench of charred flesh hit her nostrils and she started heaving. _Ice! Why didn't you take an ice materia instead, idiot?_ Only a second later she was disgusted by her cynicism.

She scanned her surroundings. Nobody was nearby, but the flames were surely visible down in town. Both those and the screaming would draw people here sooner or later. Aerith could imagine how the scene must appear to any onlooker. 

Feeling her panic intensify, she gathered up her gear and simply started running. Away from the town, out into the unknown wilderness of the Northern Continent; as fast as her feet could carry her.

When her burning lungs finally forced her to slow down again, she was covered in sweat. She didn't know how long she had been running or how far she'd gotten. The cut in her arm burned like fire. Her cheeks were wet with tears and her head was filled with concerned whispers.

Jenova knew.

A collapsed tree provided her shelter for the night. It took her the better part of an hour before she had calmed down enough to treat her wound. She abstained from lighting a campfire.

* * *

The tumbling rocks her feet set lose startled a group of smaller animals. She didn't recognize them immediately and they all fled into a burrow before she could take a closer look.

"Sorry," she called after them without any real conviction and continued to climb down the rocky slope into the small, dried-out ravine. Arriving at the bottom, she lowered her backpack and staff and settled down between a few of the bigger rocks there, sighing in exhaustion.

She had been walking for almost two days now. Rough winds, the constant fear of being followed and the wound on her arm were draining her strength. Not for the first time she wished she had sold the fire materia instead of the healing materia. Even if it happened to be a moot point anyway. In that case she might not have escaped her encounter with Jenova's thrall that easily.

Despite her worries, no army of knife wielding madmen in black cloaks had shown up to chase her thus far. Nevertheless, she had taken every precaution possible: Only pausing to rest in sheltered places like this and keeping as far away as possible from the lonesome dirt road leading towards her destination, without losing sight of it. Whenever one of the occasional cars had appeared, she had kept out of sight. Which sounded easier than it was. The landscape here was mostly made up of vast grassland and small hills, scattered rocks and the occasional tree. At least it would be impossible to miss the forest in a place like this.

At least she was on the right path. The planet's constant whispers left no doubt about that. But it couldn't tell her exactly when she would arrive. She felt she was going at a slower pace than anticipated. The food would properly last her for a week, longer if she rationed it carefully. Though her growling stomach told her now was not the time to begin rationing. So she fetched an apple from her backpack and took a bite. Savouring the taste she leaned against one of the rocks.

Fresh fruit was one the of best experiences she had made since leaving Midgar. The city was of course supplied with it by importing from outside, but the prices vendors asked for kept it a privilege of the more well off topsiders. For slums dwellers it was either canned goods or rotting leftovers. She wondered if she could raise a fruit-bearing tree in her garden or the church. She would at least try once she returned.

 _If I ever return_.

The thought took her off guard. She hadn't considered what her life might be like once their current adventure was over. Did Cloud know? Maybe they could find out together. Anyways, now that she had experienced the world outside there was no reason to go back to living in Midgar.

_Except Mom. Maybe she can come, too?_

Aerith shook her head in amusement. That was what all young men dreamed of: A new life with their girlfriend and her _mother_.

Tumbling rocks janked her from her thoughts.

Aerith spun around, dropping the apple. On the upper edge of the ravine stood a monster covered in red scales. It was at least twice her size, walking on its sturdy hind legs and studying her with with lizard-like eyes. 

Aerith reached for her staff and got up slowly, trying to avoid any rash movements. The beast started hissing threateningly at her anyways.

"Go away! I don't taste good."

The monster only hissed at her again and started climbing down into the ravine with her, loosening more rocks in the process. Aerith shifted backwards, getting some distance between her and the beast once it reached the bottom. The grasp on her staff turned her knuckles white. Her mind had already connected with the fire materia.

"This is your last warning: I'm a lot more dangerous than I look."

The calm authority in her voice actually surprised her, betraying none of her nervousness. Not that it made a difference. The monster growled and bared its teeth at her.

_I'm trying to save the world for you too, stupid thing. Planet, why can't I talk to animals?_

There was no helping it. Time to prove who was the bigger predator here.

The fireball hit the beast square on its chest - and died away almost instantly. The beast had taken step back in surprise, but regained its composure immediately and now seemed rather angry and not the least bit hurt. It roared its anger at Aerith and started coming at her.

With a terrified yelp Aerith turned on her heel and started running. To steps into her sprint she threw herself to the side. Not a second to early. The beast's massive body rumbled pass her, its jaws closing around empty air. Stumbling on some loose rocks, the beast tumbled to the ground.

There was no time for relief though. Heading for the next way out of the ravine, Aerith looked back over her shoulder at the beast. A terrible mistake as she promptly realized, because with her next heedless step a feet caught in a rock, sending her stumbling and sprawling. The impact drove all air from her lungs; her eyes teared up.

This couldn't be the end, she still had a mission to fulfill!

An intuition provided by the planet made her look up. She spotted the burrow the other animals had fled into before. It looked big enough.

A shadow fell over her. Aerith whirled onto her back, releasing another fireball. Scorching heat hit her face as it exploded almost the same instant it left her hands. She smelled burned hair, but it had been worth it: She hit the beast in the face, causing some damage this time around. The beast reared up, roaring in pain.

Aerith scrambled to her feet and rushed towards the hole. The beast was already chasing her again. She made the last second decision to slide into the hole feet first - the right choice as she promptly noticed. Her head had barely made it underground when her hips got stuck in the narrowing tunnel. She gritted her teeth, suppressing a pained cry as the sharp edge of a rock sunk into her thigh. 

Yet there was a much more pressing matter: She wasn't deep enough!

The moment she looked up the beast's head appeared in the opening. Aerith threw another fireball at it, making in back off. Again she was hit by the heat of her own attack. A few agonizing seconds passed, then the beast snapped for her head again and got another fireball for its trouble. It yowled in pain and withdrew from Aerith's field of vision.

Stuck in place and shaking, Aerith kept watching the opening, another spell at the ready. She hoped the blasted thing would lose interest in her before she ran out of stamina to cast further spells. Tiny lumps of earth rained down on her head as the beast paced in front of the burrow.

She could do nothing but bide her time.

* * *

It was early morning of the next day when Aerith finally dared to crawl out of the hole again, tired beyond words. She was covered in dirt and scratches, her clothes torn in multiple places. Worst of all the beast had made do with her backpack and torn it to pieces. All her food supplies were gone and most of her gear destroyed. She assembled a small improvised bundle and gather whatever useable items remained to her. Since she couldn't be sure the beast wasn't still nearby, Aerith opted to abandon her plan of avoiding other people. She made her way back to the road, keeping a careful look at her surroundings to avoid another monster ambush. Not that she had any plan at hand in case she was chosen for a meal once again.

After following the road for about an hour, she caught a lucky break. A pickup stopped for her and the driver offered her a ride to Bone Village - which would have been two more days of travel on foot as she learned. Would it have been one of Jenova's puppets that picked her up... well, at least those were more susceptible to burning than that cursed lizard beast. But concerned looks and well-meant if undesired advice were all she had to deal with during the ride.

In Bone Village she didn't waste any more time - the dig site wasn't equipped for tourists anyway. But it was located right at the edge of the forest the planet wanted her to reach. This was not yet the end of her journey, she had to make her way through this Sleeping Forest - as it was called here. So she set about doing just that.

The archaeologists tried to warn her about the forest and urged her to at least rest a bit. Apparently everybody that ventured inside would get lost for a few hours or days even, before they stumbled out again right where they had entered in the first place. Somebody even tried to interest her in the legend of some magic harp that was meant to tame the forest. Aerith wouldn't have any of it, and being in the state she was in, she didn't go about it in the most friendly way either.

She just couldn't wait anymore. She wanted it to be done and over. She wanted to be back with her friends. She wanted to be amused by Cid's colorful cursing and giggle together with Yuffie when he tried to get Vincent to care about whatever it was that had him flustered. She wanted to listen to Barret talk about Marlene like there was nothing else in the world that mattered. She wanted to dig her fingers into Red's warm fur. She wanted to hug Tifa and thank her for her friendship. But most of all she wanted to see Cloud again; to kiss him, to listen to his heartbeat and feel his skin on her own. Sadly, it wasn't the time for all that. She needed to finish this first.

While her thoughts were with her friends, the planet took her by the hand - metaphorically speaking - and guided her through the Sleeping Forest. She felt guilty for not appreciating this beautiful place more, but she felt like she wouldn't make it to the end if she concentrated on more than just placing one feet in front of the other.

It was shortly before dusk when she reemerged from the forest, and as expected it was not Bone Village that greeted her. Instead a haunting valley full of calcified corals and dead white trees, reminding her more of bones than plants, lay in front of her. She knew in her heart this place was the goal of her journey. It had to be the city of the Ancients. Aerith didn't know what she had expected, but she was sure she hadn't imagined buildings looking like giant sea conches. The valley's quietness was spooky, yet she felt this was a place that welcomed her.

 _You have arrived_ , the planet told her in its way, after guiding her to a secluded house next to a small lake. Aerith shook her head in confusion. She could have sworn she was still standing at the edge of the forest, taking in the sight. Apparently she had completely spaced out while walking through the city.

 _Rest now_.

Suddenly she was alone. For the first time in forever there was absolute silence in her head. Then the full force of her exhaustion hit her. Aerith slumped to the ground as her legs simply gave out under her. The weak legs and sore feet might have been her biggest pains, but they were far from the only ones. Actually there wasn't a single part of her body that wasn't hurting right now. Moreover she was dangerously famished and thirsty. At least the last problem had a simple solution nearby.

Too tired to get up properly, she crawled over to the lake on her hands and knees.

The mirror-like surface appeared almost magical. Not a single branch nor even a leaf was swimming on it. She had never seen anything like it before. She almost felt guilty disturbing this enchanting calm. Almost. Her needs took precedence now. She filled her hands with water and drank deeply.

After stilling the worst of her thirst, she noticed her reflection. She waited until the surface had calmed again and examined her face. She looked even worse than she felt. Dark circles were visible around her eyes, her skin was so pale and her cheekbones prominent like never before. She made for a gaunt appearance. Additionally her eyebrows were singed, as were some of her hair strands. One of latter was also sticky with dried blood - not her own she feared. 

She needed to do something about this.

Groaning, Aerith took off her boots and socks and, after some struggle, got up to shed the rest of her worn clothes. Before she managed to get second thoughts about this, she walked right into the lake. The water was chilling but incredibly revitalizing at the same time. She dove under the surface a few times and begann scrubbing off the blood, sweat and dirt of the last few days - as good as she managed to do with just her hands.

The cold bath reminded her of the small waterfall she discovered together with Tifa and Yuffie somewhere in the vast no man's land between Gonaga and Cosmo Canyon. At that point they had already spent a week traveling through the wilderness, spending the nights in tents and the days crowded together inside the buggy. It had been the first running water they had seen for days.

While she and Tifa had still marveled at the sight, Yuffie had stripped off all her clothes and dove head first into the pool at the bottom of the fall. Aerith hadn't hesitated much longer and jumped in right after her, albeit not as reckless as Yuffie. After some teasing, Tifa had joined them too, her face red like a tomato at first.

It had only been a short bath - and maybe some splashing and play fighting - in the cold water, but it had improved their mood and refreshed them for the next part of their journey. After returning to the campsite they had told the men about their discovery and they had been similarly elated by it. That was, until they noticed that Yuffie had stolen their clothes.

The memory of that afternoon made Aerith burst out a small giggle, but immediately after she missed her friends even more.

With a sigh she submerged a final time and returned to the shore. She used some of her more cleaner rags to dry off and then dug into her bundle. She still had a set of almost clean underwear as well as her favorite dress. Both had miraculously survived the attack on her backpack. Refreshed and dressed at last, she felt like herself again.

She eased her sore feet back into her boots and then went through her discarded clothing and the other contents of her bundle. It was tempting to leave just everything behind, but she doubted the return trip would be any easier. She would properly need every piece of equipment she still had, so she packed up everything and swung it over her shoulder.

Finally Aerith looked up at the strange coral house looming over the lake. The planet had taken her here for a reason, so she expected the next part of her mission to take place inside. Was she supposed to wait outside? After contemplating for a minute, she decided to go inside. The planet would probably stop her if she did something wrong.

The interior was far less alien than the outside had been. The house still had some furniture and she could identify the purpose of almost every piece of it. When she came across something she was pretty sure was a bed, Aerith didn't hesitate and put herself down on it. Despite the refreshing bath just before she still felt drained. Overcome by fatigue she closed her eyes. 

_It's time._

Aerith sighed as the planet woke her only seconds later. At least she thought so. After she got up and looked out a window she realized she must have slept for few hours. A new day had arrived. And she did feel rested.

The planet gently guided her through the house towards some stairs, reaching deep underneath the building. She didn't remember those being here last night. Had she missed them in her tired state or did this passage only appear after she had gone to bed? It didn't really matter. Whatever she would find down there, it was the reason she had left her friends behind and endured the strain of those last few days.

Aerith was ready.

It was time to save to world!

And at last, the planet revealed its plan to her.

* * *

Aerith finally got it: The White Materia, her useless little materia she had been using as a hair decoration for years, was not useless at all. Instead it was the centerpiece of her mission; the single most important legacy of her people. It was this materia that allowed her to communicate with the planet, to do its bidding, not some innate ability of her Cetra blood. 

It was just one of many things she understood now. A torrent of knowledge had flooded her mind while she was making her way down into a temple, built under the city at a lifestream nexus. In short time she had learned so much, made so many connections. Black and White Materia. Planets and their lifestream. Humans and Cetra. Sephiroth and Jenova. The symbiotic unity of the latter two, she learned, was an even bigger threat to the planet than even her worst fears had prepared her for. Actually, they were a menace to every planet with a lifestream hiding out there in the vast universe.

Despite all the knowledge provided to her by the lifestream, Aerith could not see an easy way to put a stop to them. However, the central piece of their plan was the Black Materia. They intended to use its terrible power to deal a mortal wound to the planet. And that was something she could prevent, as the planet had revealed her.

The Black Materia was used to summon a destructive force from the dark depths of outer space. Meteor. But there existed an opposite force of equal power right here on the planet: Holy. And using the White Materia was the means to access this force.

After she had arrived at the temple's central altar, the planet had guided her into a deep meditation and taken her mind onto a journey into the lifestream itself. It was an unfamiliar experience for Aerith. She had to realize that despite her lifelong connection to the planet, she had barely scratched the surface of its spiritual world. She had suspected it, but to experience it like this was something entirely different. The lifestream was so much more than just a green glowing pool of mako energy. It was an endless ocean and a labyrinth at the same time. Its own world, full of life and memories. She had no words to describe it except one: beautiful. 

It didn't take long for some souls to join her in her journey. At first there were only a few dozen. Then hundreds of them and then thousands; hundreds of thousands. Myriads. Finally it felt like every consciousness remaining in the lifestream, be it person, animal or plant, was there with her, descending into the depths, supporting her, even cheering her on. Zack was with her. Mother, her real mother, too. And her... father. Professor Gast? It was the answer to question Aerith had stopped pondering ages ago. Mostly because she never expected to have it answered. This new information was a welcome surprise, but something she would have to deal with at a later point in time. There was a much more important task at hand.

The planet kept on guiding her through the lifestream. Soon she didn't remember what having a body had felt like. Her sense of time was completely gone. Had it been mere hours since she started the journey? Or had it been days already? She couldn't tell. She started to doubt she would ever arrive at its end.

Until she did.

Deep within the lifestream she found Holy, slumbering. Even dormant it radiated power like nothing she had ever felt before - even sensing Meteor's power inside the temple had been nothing but a glimpse at something bigger compared to this. As she soon had to learn, Holy was not part of the planet's power, it was an independent force. The lifestream was just the way to access it. And to her disappointment Holy did not necessarily see itself on her side or even desire being summoned. It wasn't even sure humankind deserved saving.

She had been prepared for this. After all, summoning was always a battle of wills between summoner and summoned entity. But Holy was something else, nothing she could compare to the likes of Shiva, Ifrit or Odin. It couldn't be bowed or swayed with easy promises, it wanted to be persuaded of Aerith's cause. And thus their battle of wills felt more like endless, tiring negotiations. 

Negotiations that had her take on any conceivable role at one point or another. One moment Aerith was a submissive petitioner, the next a harsh tyrant; a pleading child and a disapproving grownup; a despaired flower girl from the slums and a confident Cetra. The lifestream's collective mind strengthened her, the planet was fighting by her side, arguing in her and humankind's favor. And while she already thought her journey to this place had taken her forever, contending with Holy took a least twice as long. And with every moment that passed, she felt her spirit sink. 

Then finally, long after she had given up hope and thought everything was lost, continuing on only in desperate defiance, it was done.

Aerith didn't know if it was her reasoning or pure will that made the difference, but Holy gave way and assured her of its assistance. And then it left her alone, heading out to do whatever an amorphous, primal force did when it was preparing to confront its opposite. Around her a collective feeling of relief and jubilation began to spread throughout the lifestream. It gave her hope, she had done all she could here. Surely, this had to be Meteor taken care of.

That left Jenova and Sephiroth himself.

As long as those two were alive, the world's peril wasn't over. The planet had a contingency plan in place for them as well, it was just that Aerith hated it. A vision had shown her the titanic beasts slumbering deep down inside the bowels of Gaia. Mighty weapons, the planet's worthy protectors. But once they were awake, their loyalty was to the planet alone. They would make no difference between Jenova, Sephiroth or the rest of humankind.

She sensed the planet's sorrow. It didn't want to set those monster lose on the world, but if nobody else took care of Sephiroth and Jenova, it wouldn't and couldn't hesitate to make use of them.

 _Don't worry_ , Aerith assured him. The planet had protected her her whole life and now it was finally time to return the favor. _I know the right people for this task_.

It was time to return to her friends.

Her mind rushed from the depths of the lifestream back into her body. A barrage of sensations hit her the moment she arrived back in the real world, most of it pain. Her neck was stiff, her knees sore, her stomach empty and her mouth dry. The trip into lifestream must have taken her days after all.

 _Successful trip_ , she reminded herself. Despite all the fatigue, she felt accomplished. Peaceful even.

Aerith opened her eyes. Cloud was standing over her, his sword in his hands. For some reason she wasn't surprised to find him here, just happy. He wasn't well, though. His eyes were filled with pain, anger and confusion. His whole body was shaking, struggling to overcome some invisible force. 

_He is fighting Jenova._

She could sense the alien presence messing with his mind. This would end now, it was time to free him from Jenova's claws! This place had given so much more than the connection to Holy. Everything the Cetra had ever known, their collected memory, was now at her disposal. She had become the planet's champion. No longer were its powers limited to some quiet advice in her head, now she she could wield them and use them for its defense. She felt almost invincible, bursting with power.

_Don't worry, Cloud. It's almost done. We'll rid you and the world of her._

Aerith gave him a reassuring smile and tried to get up; she wanted to kiss him; calm him down. But apparently she had underestimated just how much the journey into the lifestream had exhausted her body. The moment she attempted to move a sharp pain shot through her back. All strength left her. Only then did she notice the blood.

_Is that... a sword?_

* * *

>>>>> His heart was pounding disquietingly fast.

Had it not been the same with Zack back in the day, Aerith would have feared for Cloud's well-being. Instead she could put it down to his SOLDIER physique, enjoy the familiar sound and relish in the warmth of his body. Had it really been five years since she last spent a moment like this with someone else? Arm in arm. Skin to skin. Not even a day ago she would have maintained she wasn't missing anything like this either. Now? She wanted nothing more than stay the rest of the night like this and fall asleep at his side.

Sadly, things just weren't that simple.

It wasn't solely the faint scream of that cursed vending machine in the distance that reminded her of the world outside of this room. She also couldn't push Tifa's somber despair from her mind - no matter how much of it had been due to the alcohol. After all, her hardly veiled jealousy wasn't unjustified. Not anymore. Aerith wanted nothing more than appear at breakfast with her and Cloud holding hands. But dangerous times lay ahead for them. The last thing their group needed right now were conflict and dissension brought on by hurt feelings.

Thus Aerith kept enjoying the intimacy only until she felt her eyes grow heavy. With a wistful sigh she let go of Cloud and swung her legs out of bed. 

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my room," she said, picking up her discarded clothes. "It'll be less complicated that way."

She looked at him. Part of her hoped he'd object and pull her back into bed with him; kiss her and keep her there. But he just nodded. Cloud wasn't Zack after all. That was a good thing.

She was about to get dressed when something else came to her mind.

"I'll grab a quick shower first," she said, and couldn't help but put on a mischievous smile. "Just in case Tifa decides to sniff me up again."

His bewildered expression was the perfect consolation prize for not being able to stay the night. She had almost disappeared into the bathroom when she heard him speak up. 

"Aerith?"

He sounded serious.

"Yes?"

"What will happen now?"

She hesitated for a moment, the unspoken words 'with us' hanging in the air. Then she put on a smile and stepped up to the bed again. "First we go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll head to Temple of the Ancients and put a stop to Sephiroth and Jenova."

She leaned over to him and kissed him a final time.

"And then everything else will turn out just the way it should be." <<<<<

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I wrote years ago and I only now got around to translate it. I've been reading and writing FF7 stories for almost twenty years now. Over half my life. Pretty much all my headcanon stems from the early days of the FF7 fandom, before Advent Children and the other compilation titles even, when Jenova being the master and Sephiroth the puppet was still a valid theory. So this doesn't completely fit within modern canon, but I hope despite some divergence still enjoyed reading this.
> 
> Back in the day I wrote this story because I wanted to show how I experienced Aerith in the first game. She wasn't some martyr saint, but a kind yet sassy city girl that loved life. I also strongly believe she did not know she was going to die. Needless to say I am very happy with how the Remake portraits her (in contrast to Crisis Core).
> 
> The monster that attacked Aerith outside Bone Village was a Vlakorados. They appear in that area in the game (you can steal carob nuts for chocobo breeding from them). Maybe I depicted it a little tougher than it was in game ;-)
> 
> Maybe I get around to translate some more of my old stories. The Remake and many of the other great stories here reignited my FF7 spark hard.
> 
> Take care :-)  
> NTL


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